1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to safety shields for medical needles, and more particularly, to safety shields that protect a needle point of a medical needle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Problems associated with inadvertent needle sticks are well known in the art of blood sampling, percutaneous medication injection and other medical procedures involving use of medical needles. Significant attention has been focused on needle stick problems due to the contemporary sensitivity of exposure to AIDS, Hepatitis and other serious blood-borne pathogen exposures.
Procedures for removing a needle from a patient commonly require a technician to use one hand to place pressure at the wound site where the needle is being withdrawn, while removing the needle device with the other hand. It is also common practice for an attending technician to give higher priority to care for the patient than is given to disposal of a needle. In the case of typical needle devices without safety shields, such priority either requires the convenience of an available sharps container within reach or another means for safe disposal without leaving the patient""s side. Providing adequate care while following safety procedures is often compounded by the patient""s physical condition and mental state, such as in burn units and psychiatric wards. Under such conditions, it is difficult to properly dispose of a used needle while caring for a patient.
The widespread knowledge and history associated with needle care and disposal problems have resulted in numerous devices for preventing accidental needle sticks. Problems of current safety devices include difficulty of use and high cost due to their complexity and number of parts.
Other known devices employ sheaths that are spring activated, telescoping, pivoting, etc. These devices, however, may disadvantageously misfire or be cumbersome to activate. Further drawbacks of current devices include high manufacturing cost due to complexity and the number of parts. Thus, these type prior art devices may not adequately and reliably shield medical needle apparatus to prevent hazardous exposure.
Consequently, there remains a need to provide a more satisfactory solution for needle safety devices by overcoming the disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a more adequate and reliable medical needle shield apparatus that employs a safety shield slidably movable along a medical needle to prevent hazardous exposure to a needle tip. Such a needle shield apparatus should be easily and reliably movable to shield a needle tip of a needle cannula.
Accordingly, the present disclosure addresses a need for a medical needle shield apparatus which effectively and inexpensively protects a tip of a medical needle after use. The present disclosure resolves related disadvantages and drawbacks experienced in the art. More specifically, the apparatus and method of this invention constitute an important advance in the art of safety needle devices.
In one particular embodiment, a medical needle shield apparatus is provided in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. The medical needle shield apparatus includes a needle hub having an outer needle cannula extending therefrom to a distal end. An inner needle is disposed for slidable movement with the outer needle cannula. At least one shield is extensible from a retracted position to an extended position to enclose a distal end of the inner needle. The shield includes a binding member disposed within the shield and defines binding surfaces that form an aperture configured for slidable receipt of the inner needle between the retracted position and the extended position.
The binding member includes at least one drag inducing member such that the member engages the inner needle during slidable receipt of the inner needle to create a drag force with the inner needle. The drag force facilitates rotation of the binding member relative to a longitudinal axis of the inner needle such that the binding surfaces engage the inner needle to prevent slidable movement of the inner needle in the extended position of the shield. The binding member further includes a needle communicating surface extending therefrom such that the needle communicating surface is engageable with the inner needle to prevent rotation of the binding member. A retainer extends transversely from the needle communicating surface for releasable engagement with the needle hub.
The binding member may be rotatable, relative to a longitudinal axis of the inner needle, between a non-binding orientation whereby the inner needle is slidable relative to the binding member and a binding orientation whereby the binding surfaces engage the inner needle to prevent slidable movement of the inner needle in the extended position of the at least one shield. The binding member may include one or more outwardly arcuate arms that extend to the needle-communicating surface.
The inner needle can be attached to a handle for manipulation thereof. The needle hub may define a hub slot configured for receipt of the retainer. The needle hub may be releasably mountable with a housing of the at least one shield. The medical needle shield apparatus may further include a plurality of shields.
The at least one drag inducing member may define a cavity that is substantially aligned with the aperture. The cavity is configured for slidable receipt of the needle to create the drag force with the needle. The binding member may include a substantially planar aperture plate that includes the binding surfaces that form the aperture. The at least one drag inducing member may include a pair of arms extending from the aperture plate. The arms can have curled end portions spaced apart from the aperture plate. The arms can include deflectable members.
The shield can include a housing that defines at least one blocking member extending from an interior surface thereof. The at least one blocking member can be engageable with the binding member for urging the binding member to a binding orientation. The aperture plate is axially movable for engagement with the at least one blocking member that causes rotation of the binding member to a binding orientation.
The medical needle shield apparatus may further include an external gripping element that encloses the at least one shield. The external gripping element supports the at least one shield for relative rotational movement therewith. The at least one shield can be supported for relative rotational movement by the external gripping element by at least one bearing.
In an alternate embodiment, the medical needle shield apparatus includes a shield being extensible from a retracted position to an extended position to enclose a distal end of the outer needle cannula. The shield defines a probe guide at a distal end thereof that is configured for receipt of a probe. The probe is configured for slidable movement with the outer needle cannula.
In another embodiment, the medical needle shield apparatus includes a needle hub having an outer needle cannula extending therefrom to a distal end. An inner needle is disposed for slidable movement with the outer needle cannula. A handle is attached to the inner needle and defines a flash chamber in communication with the inner needle. The flash chamber has a fitting that facilitates connection to a medical device. A shield is releasably mountable to the needle hub and extensible from a retracted position to an extended position to enclose a distal end of the inner needle. The handle is disposed adjacent the shield.